Lorenzo Wesley Roundy — Drowned at Lee's Ferry while Preserving Daniel H. Wells' Party (May 24, 1876)

On May 24, 1876, a company of Latter-day Saint missionaries and leaders bound for Arizona, which included Bishop Lorenzo Wesley Roundy, President Daniel H. Wells of the First Presidency, and Warren Johnson, attempted to cross the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry during the dangerous spring runoff. The heavily loaded ferry was caught in the turbulent current and capsized. Lorenzo Wesley Roundy, described as a man of great physical strength and an expert swimmer, worked to assist others in the water; he exhausted himself and was swept away and drowned. Despite the icy, violent conditions, President Daniel H. Wells and several others in the party were miraculously preserved and washed ashore. Pioneer and family annals record Roundy’s death as a sacrificial loss that coincided with the divine preservation of the remaining party and the continued mission to colonize Arizona.